Chen Zhou watched clearly from the darkness.
There was no acting.
There was no deception.
These Tianjian Sect disciples were truly fighting with their lives on the line.
Li Zhaoye, in particular, was like a god of war, single-handedly battling three third-stage wolf demons.
Several deep wounds that reached the bone had already appeared on his body, but he did not retreat a single step, standing firm in front of the shrine and the villagers.
Watching this scene, Chen Zhou's expression became somewhat strange.
Was this really a play?
If it was, this acting was simply too good; even he was nearly moved by it.
After half an hour, all the wolves were decapitated.
Li Zhaoye saw Old Li and, with a gentle smile on his face, walked quickly toward him.
"Father, your unfilial son has let you be frightened."
He then turned to the villagers and spoke in a sonorous voice.
"Fellow villagers, you have been startled. Zhaoye arrived late and allowed these monsters to disturb everyone."
"However, rest assured. As long as my Tianjian Sect is here, we will ensure the safety of Jiuquan Village!"
"Good, that's wonderful!"
The villagers were so moved that tears filled their eyes.
The wind and snow subsided slightly. The morning in Jiuquan Village did not appear desolate due to the wolf attack; instead, it was filled with joy because of the figures who had arrived on swords.
The snow stopped, and the sun cast a piercing light across the red and white snow.
Old Li returned home and, with a face glowing with excitement, pulled out several of his finest clothes from the bottom of his trunk, wanting the foreign guests from yesterday to share in the good fortune.
But after a lap around the house and searching the courtyard for a long time, he couldn't find a trace of them.
"That's strange."
Old Li scratched his messy hair, looking puzzled.
"Those gentlemen said last night they would welcome the Immortal Masters together. Why are they all gone this morning?"
Old Li looked out from the doorway for a while, finally letting out a sigh.
"Could they have left in the middle of the night because of some urgent matter?"
"Sigh, what a lack of fortune. They couldn't even catch such a grand immortal opportunity."
He didn't have time to dwell on it. The bell at the village entrance had already been struck; that was the Tianjian Sect's grand disciple recruitment ceremony, and it could not be delayed.
Old Li quickly straightened his collar and ran toward the village entrance.
By this time, the threshing floor at the village entrance was already crowded with people.
Incense smoke drifted before the shrine of Ksitigarbha of Great Vows as all the villagers knelt on the ground, looking expectantly at the several Immortal Masters on the high platform.
Li Zhaoye stood by the Test Immortal Stone. "Xiaohu, put your hand on it."
"Yes, just like that."
"Not bad. A Mysterious Grade earth spiritual root. You may enter my Tianjian Sect as an outer disciple."
"Next."
The villagers erupted in cheers, and Xiaohu's parents were so excited they fainted on the spot.
Soon, several more children were selected.
The one with the best aptitude among them actually measured an Earth Grade ice spiritual root and was immediately accepted by Li Zhaoye as an inner disciple.
When the selection ended, a total of three children had been chosen.
Li Zhaoye looked at the children who hadn't been chosen and their disappointed parents, offering gentle comfort. "The Great Dao is heartless, but the immortal sects have heart."
"Those of you who weren't selected need not be discouraged. My Tianjian Sect will also protect everyone in the Northern Region from the harm of demons."
Having said that, he flicked his sleeve, and a small flying sword appeared out of thin air, expanding rapidly against the wind.
"Follow me on our journey."
Li Zhaoye led the three children onto the flying sword.
Seeing two of the children, who were leaving home for the first time, crying uncontrollably, he crouched down and patted their heads.
"Don't be afraid. Senior brother will take good care of you."
"Once we reach the mountain, there will be endless spirit rice to eat and silk to wear. You will never have to suffer from cold or hunger again."
His eyes were sincere and his tone gentle, like an older brother truly caring for his juniors.
"Father, fellow villagers, Zhaoye is leaving!"
Standing on the flying sword, Li Zhaoye bowed deeply to Old Li and the villagers below.
"Safe travels, Immortal Master!"
"Zhaoye, come back and visit often!"
Amidst a chorus of reluctant farewells, the flying sword turned into a stream of light, breaking through the wind and snow to fly toward the distant mountains.
Chen Zhou shifted his steps, his figure gradually fading as he silently followed behind the Tianjian Sect group.
Wu Gou had said there would be a good show to watch; he wanted to see exactly where this so-called show was.
The wind and snow of the Northern Region came as they pleased.
One moment the sun was shining brightly, and the next, a howling gale and goose-feather snow obscured the sky.
The Tianjian Sect group flew low on their swords, and to accommodate the three new children, their speed was not fast.
Chen Zhou had expected to see some plot where the Tianjian Sect tricked the children away to harvest their organs, or a scene where they were used as fodder for wolf demons.
Instead, Li Zhaoye spent the entire journey coaxing the children, even taking out several spirit stones for them to use as toys.
Chen Zhou followed them for half the way.
Suddenly.
Clang—
A shrill sword cry rang out abruptly, mingling with the wind and snow.
Li Zhaoye's expression sharpened, and his long sword instantly left its scabbard, held defensively in front of him.
"What monster dares to block the path of my Tianjian Sect!"
A figure slowly walked out from the snow ahead.
It was a strange person.
Clad in an old white sword cultivator's uniform of indistinguishable color, she was draped in a dirty wolf pelt cloak.
White hair flew wildly in the wind, and her face was covered by a hideous bronze mask, revealing only a cloudy left eye; her right eye was a hollow of darkness.
She walked slowly, her right leg slightly lame, dragging a long trail across the snow.
"It's you again!" a female sword cultivator behind Li Zhaoye shouted angrily.
"You madwoman of Frost-Snow Fortress, you've blocked us three times on this journey. Do you really think my Tianjian Sect doesn't dare to kill you?"
The white-haired woman called a madwoman ignored the female cultivator's rebuke.
With her single eye, she stared fixedly at the three children protected behind Li Zhaoye, a complex light flashing through her gaze.
There was urgency, fear, and a trace of sorrow.
The madwoman said nothing, drawing her sword and moving.
The snow beneath her feet exploded as she charged forward recklessly, like a wounded lone wolf.
The sword in her hand was also tattered and full of notches, but the sword intent was terrifyingly pure.
"Stubborn and incorrigible!"
The female sword cultivator frowned, a flash of killing intent in her eyes.
This madwoman was a well-known ghost of the Northern Region, permanently entrenched in Frost-Snow Fortress on the border, specifically intercepting and killing Tianjian Sect cultivators.
Recently, she had become even more deranged, attempting several times to snatch the newly recruited disciples of the Tianjian Sect.
As the sword qi arrived, the four Tianjian Sect disciples instantly scattered, their sword light weaving into a net.
Ding, ding, clang—
The sound of clashing metal erupted in the snow.
The madwoman's swordplay was chaotic, consisting entirely of life-risking moves.
She ignored the swords stabbing at her, enduring several bloody gashes on her body just to break through the formation and reach the three children.
"Ah!!"
The three children screamed in terror, huddling together and trembling.
"Presumptuous."
Seeing that his junior brothers and sisters were struggling to withstand the madwoman's suicidal tactics, Li Zhaoye felt true rage.
The light of his Azure Peak Sword flared brilliantly, and a Noble Sword Qi soared into the sky.
The sword light was as imposing as thunder, splitting down through the wind and snow.
The madwoman's figure faltered. A look of reminiscence appeared in her eye as she did not dodge, instead raising her tattered sword to take the blow head-on.
Crack!
The tattered sword shattered.
Li Zhaoye's sword pierced through her chest.
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